Gone are the days filled with summer drinks--new fall cocktails are here! We're focusing on the classics this season, highlighting old-time favorites like the Manhattan, Rob Roy and Hot Toddie. Here are a few of our favorites for fall.

It's the most wonderful time of the year! National Bourbon Month (September) has arrived, and we're serving up some amazing specials to celebrate! From drinks to eats to beer & bourbon pairings, we're offering you multiple ways to experience some of our favorite bourbons. But be sure to act fast! In a couple of weeks, we'll be swapping out these specials for new Bourbon Month treats.

Calling all whiskey, rye and bourbon fans! We invite you to kick off National Bourbon Month at the pub with a St. George Distillery tasting and education session! Experience their Breaking & Entering Bourbon, Dry Rye Gin and Single Malt Whiskey with a distillery expert and fellow whiskey enthusiasts--all for just $5. For more info on St. George Distillery spirits, go to www.stgeorgespirits.com.

Our Bourbon Burger was named one of Sacramento Magazine's top 30 dishes! Come in an experience the masterpiece...

"This meaty treasure sounds boozy, but it's not. Messy and spectacularly flavorful, the burger is composed of a first-rate, house-ground chuck patty laid on a chewy-fluffy bun. Smothered in melted smoked cheddar cheese, the dish is lavished with a spicy bourbon-bacon barbecue sauce and finished off with lettuce, a couple of juicy tomato slices and--the piece de resistance--sweet, crusty fried onions. Be prepared to do a lot of finger licking as you work your way through this fabulous burger, and enjoy it with one of de Vere's fresh draught beers."

Ladies, file this under "awesome." Scotch Naturals, an all-natural, non-toxic nail polish collection, is all about one of our favorite liquors. The recyclable Italian glass bottles are fashioned after whiskey bottles and all the shade names are actual drinks made with scotch: Kiltlifter, Morning Glory Fizz, Neat, Leprechaun Lynch, Macbeth's Dream, Rocks Top Coat...the list goes on. You can see the whole collection here.

de Vere’s knows that going out drinking can get repetitive, expensive, or both! So we've compiled a list of seven drink deals that are unique to de Vere’s to guarantee that you’ll never be bored with your libation selection again.

1. $4 Well Drinks: Happy hour at de Vere’s is Monday through Friday, from 3:30 to 6:30. That’s three whole hours to enjoy any well drink for $4, complimented by some of our delicious happy hour food offerings (we recommend the Wee Ginger—$4 for a refreshing glass of Jameson and ginger ale).

2. $6 Dew and Brew: We think this drink special is a steal, and you’ll probably agree. For $6 you’ll get a shot of Tullamore Dew whiskey, and an ice-cold beer to wash it down!

4. No Corkage Fees. Ever: At de Vere’s we are all about our customers enjoying great food with great drinks, which is why we never charge any corkage fees!

5. Whiskey Flights: We are huge whiskey enthusiasts at de Vere’s, and if you come join us on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 5-8pm, you can enjoy some tasting flights along with us! The tasting menu is constantly rotating, and always unique, so you’ll always find something new.

6. $10 Bottomless Bottle Service: Brunch service begins soon, so why not soak up your Irish Fry Up with a bottle of bubbles and a carafe of either orange or cranberry juice? When you’re finished, just ask for more!

7. Almost Famous Irish Coffee: If your Sunday morning cup of Joe just isn’t cutting it after your late Saturday night, we invite you to indulge in our signature Irish Coffee—Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey, locally roasted de Vere’s blend coffee, and a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream, for $6.

As if you need an excuse to come in and have a drink or two...here are five more!

1) We never charge corkage fees…seriously, never!

2) You can get 14 oz of Olympia for just $2…and 20 oz. for just $3!

3) Whiskey Society memberships will be good at both de Vere’s locations! Get all the details here: http://deverespub.com/whiskey-society/

4) We now have a “Dew and a Brew” special: A shot of Tullamore Dew Whiskey and an Olympia for just $6!

5) Our new Craft Beer Station (in the back bar) hosts 6 rotating craft beers. Choices change as the kegs run out…and once they’re gone, they’re gone. So come in often and prepare for some rare, delicious surprises.

Michter’s US 1
Four Stars/Highly Recommended F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal: "The rich bronze color sparkles under the lamp; perfect purity. The initial whiffs uncover dry notes of stone-milled grist and dried fruit; following the aeration stage, the bouquet offers peppery/spicy scents that accent the dry graininess. The palate entry is surprisingly sweet and corny, considering how dry the aroma is; the midpalate point is deep, corny sweet, sap-like and a bit syrupy. Ends up well and balanced, with a backnote of dried red fruit (raisins, prunes). A handsome addition to this series."

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!

In honor of national Bourbon month, de Vere's Irish Pub will be posting some of our Favorite Bourbon blog posts from around the web for you to enjoy!

"Bacon Infused Bourbon

Every once in a while something that sounds crazy in a cocktail actually works, if you are open to the idea. One such concept is Bacon Infused Bourbon. It’s seems ridiculous at first, but when you consider sweet caramel and maple syrup flavors sometimes characterize a good bourbon, you start to think about breakfast and how a side of bacon tastes so good next to your pancakes! Does it still sound silly? Well, maybe if I break it down a bit, it will make a little more sense. What we are talking about is neither sweet nor sour, not salty or bitter—it’s the fifth fundamental flavor that the Japanese call umami.

Umami, or savoriness, is considered by eastern cultures as an important component of taste in their cuisine. It is the flavor produced by amino acids such as glutamate that we normally associate with beef, mushrooms or that “rich” character found in stews and some fermented foods. Although it isn’t often discussed in regular western culture, umami is widely recognized as a flavor descriptor in the culinary world. Naturally, ideas born in the kitchen can be carried over to the bar, and that’s what we are doing here.

In addition to capturing rich meaty flavors, the smokiness that typifies cured bacon is equally important in our infusion. That is why I recommend finding an extremely smokey bacon to start out. You can pick any bacon that you like, but the stronger the flavors the better. Benton’s Smoked Country Bacon is supposed to be very good for this. I used a delicious smoke house bacon I found at our local farmers market. It’s a thick-cut, organic product that is absolutely wonderful as a breakfast side, in an egg casserole or sprinkled over fresh salad greens. Whatever you use, plan to eat a good, healthy portion of bacon, because all we need is the fat!

That’s right, the process of infusing umami into bourbon is called fat-washing. The idea is simple. Cook your bacon as you normally would and reserve the rendered fat. You need about a third of a cup of fat for the process. Place it into a jar while it’s still hot, and fill the jar with bourbon. Let it cool, then freeze it for 24 hours. Filter it and you are done. It’s that simple.

Bacon Infused Bourbon
.33 cup of rendered bacon fat
3 cups of bourbon

Cook a pound of bacon and reserve the rendered fat. Add .33 cup of hot fat to a jar and fill with bourbon. Seal and allow to stand until it reaches room temperature. Place the jar in the freezer for 24 hours. The fat will solidify but the bourbon will remain in a liquid state. Open the jar and pour off the bourbon, straining through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any loose fat particles. Bottle it and slap on a cool label.

If you’ve done other infusions with vodka, the basic principles are the same. The high-proof spirit draws flavors from the fat into the alcohol. Over the course of a few hours, the cooling fat solidifies and allows complete separation from the booze. Using the freezer is a neat trick because the alcohol works as an anti-freeze for the bourbon making the separating process even easier. There are a few tricks I learned that can streamline the process.

First, don’t shake the jar while the fat is cooling. This will create an emulsion and the fat will have trouble coagulating. It will separate eventually, but there will be microscopic droplets that will make the bourbon cloudy, and even freezing and filtration will have a hard time clearing them out. Second, it can help to tip the jar on its side. This will make it easier to pour off the bourbon later so you don’t have to break through a solid fat cap. Finally, don’t worry so much about the proportions. You can use as much fat as you like. In fact, if the flavor isn’t strong enough or you picked a mild-flavored bacon, you can run the bourbon through the process multiple times to improve it.

So, what can you do with this stuff? Jim Meehan from PDT in New York serves a great riff on the Old Fashioned using Benton’s bacon for the infusion:

In a mixing glass filled halfway with ice, combine all ingredients. Stir, then strain into a tumbler with one large ice cube. Garnish with a twist of orange.

I have also used Urban Moonshine’s Maple Bitters in this drink to good effect, but Angostura has a wonderful clove-like component that makes me think of glazed ham. If an Old Fashioned is not your thing, don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s hard to separate the idea of salt in your mind when you ponder ideas with bacon, but think about how well ham pairs with spices—or with sweet flavors like honey and brown sugar—and you will start to see its potential. Perhaps a variation on the Manhattan is more to your liking. This one is especially good if you used a very smokey bacon in your infusion. It also contains Pimento (allspice) Dram, which is a liqueur made from allspice berries (not red pimentos!). The liqueur used to be impossible to find without making a drip to Jamaica, but thankfully, St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram is becoming more readily available. If you have a choice, buy the small bottle. The spicy flavor is potent, so most recipes call for small amounts.

"Thanks to our friends over at Small Screen Network, we discovered that the month of September is also National Bourbon Heritage Month.

National Bourbon Heritage Month is an observance in the United States that calls for celebration of bourbon as America’s “Native Spirit”. On August 2, 2007, the US Senate declared September as “National Bourbon Heritage Month.” The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky, passed by unanimous consent. (Source: Wikipedia)

In observance of National Bourbon Heritage Month, Mutineer is celebrating the history and art of distilling bourbon whisky by featuring a list of pretty rad blog posts about this amazing spirit.

“I am a verified Whiskey Girl. I love brown liquor in all its forms: I’m a huge fan of rye, have been known to keep a variety of bottles of single malt scotch on hand, and simply adore bourbon… In honor of September, which has been named National Bourbon Heritage Month by the U.S. Senate, here are some recipes that celebrate this very American whiskey.”

“Although Bourbon is commonly associated with Kentucky and is, in this Boozy Jew’s opinion, where the best Bourbon comes from, it actually does not need to be made in Bourbon County, or even in Kentucky to be a Bourbon. In 1964, the same year our congress signed the Civil Rights Act into law, our great law-makers also sought to define what actually makes a Bourbon, Bourbon.”

“Every once in a while something that sounds crazy in a cocktail actually works, if you are open to the idea. One such concept is Bacon Infused Bourbon. It’s seems ridiculous at first, but when you consider sweet caramel and maple syrup flavors sometimes characterize a good bourbon, you start to think about breakfast and how a side of bacon tastes so good next to your pancakes!”

“September is National Bourbon Month so if you need a special reason to open a bottle of Jim Beam, enjoy a dose of Knob Creek or sip a Wild Turkey, here are a few ideas for mixing:”

We also encourage you to visit Small Screen Network’s website and dig through their extensive archive of Bourbon videos, which includes mixology lessons from Mutineer Magazine contributorRobert Hess, an interview with Bill Samuels Jr. of Maker’s Mark, and even a recipe cooking with Bourbon.

Availability US: Available Japan: Available Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Available

History: In 1988, Booker Noe introduced his own signature bourbon, Booker's True Barrel Bourbon. Inspired by a 200-year-old tradition, Booker's is the only bourbon bottled straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered. First created as a holiday gift for his special friends, Booker's whiskey was so well-received that he decided to make it available to bourbon lovers worldwide; much to the joy of spirit connoisseurs everywhere. Booker's is the rarest, absolute best bourbon available.

Distinctions:

Booker’s Bourbon is the only uncut, unfiltered, straight-from-the-barrel, connoisseur’s sipping bourbon available today. It’s bottled at its natural proof of between 121 and 127, and aged between six and eight years. Booker Noe, Jim Beam’s grandson and master distiller emeritus, hand selects each barrel that will become Booker’s Bourbon. Each barrel that will become Booker’s bourbon is aged in the very center of the rackhouse where the temperature and humidity combines in the perfect proportion for the finest bourbon. This is truly the absolute best bourbon available.
Tasting NotesAge: 6 to 8 years
Proof: 121 to 127
Color: Deep, rich, smoky amber
Aroma: Big oak, vanilla, smoky charcoal
Taste: Intense, fruit, tannin, tobacco
Finish: Clean, long, intense
Award: Gold Medal Bourbon
- Wine Enthusiast
Comments: “A tasting of Small Batch Bourbons left me in awe of Booker’s.” – The Chicago Tribune”

A note from de Vere’s Irish Pub:

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!

Maker’s Mark

Maker’s Mark is produced at Loretto in Kentucky, where distilling has been taking place on the Star Hill Farm site since to 1805. The present brand was developed by Bill Samuels Snr, who bought Star Hill in 1953, and the Scottish spelling of ‘whisky’ has been employed since the outset in recognition of Samuels’ Scottish ancestry. Since 2005 maker’s Mark has been owned by Fortune Brands, who are also responsible for Jim Beam. Samuels chose to create a Bourbon using a proportion of red winter wheat instead of the more common rye, in order to reduce the ‘burn’ left by many Bourbons of the time. The result is a comparatively soft and gentle spirit, which becomes very mellow as it matures. A subtle, complex, clean nose, with vanilla and spice, a delicate floral note of roses, plus lime and cocoa beans. Medium in body, Maker’s Mark offers a palate of fresh fruit, spices, eucalyptus and ginger cake. The finish features more spices, fresh oak with a hint of smoke, and a final flash of peach cheesecake. A delicate and circumspect Bourbon compared to some of its more redneck cousins. Very drinkable. 45.0% ABV

Maker’s Mark 46

Maker’s 46 has an unmistakable spice on the nose, yet not strong. This next generation bourbon is smooth and forward tasting on the palate yet retains a pleasant bite. On the backend, like the original Maker’s Mark, there is none of harness sometimes associated with Rye, but nice honey finish. Other notes present include vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and other sweet spices. Being a bourbon man myself, I liked it! Marker’s 46 is a fine sipping bourbon and has the potential to become a potent ingredient in the bar arsenal. I will report back once I whip up an Old Fashioned or Manhattan with the 46.

A note from de Vere’s Irish Pub:

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!

George T. Stagg

de Vere's Pub carries amazing Bourbons and this happens to be one of our favorites! Part of the annually updated Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, ‘George T Stagg’ takes its name from the one-time owner of what is now Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. During the early 1880s the distillery was in the hands of Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr, who obtained a loan from his friend George T Stagg during difficult economic times. Stagg subsequently foreclosed on Taylor, taking over his company in the process! Distilled in the spring of 1993, the nose of this imposing, high-strength 15-year-old whiskey presents caramel, vanilla, sweet oak and glance cherries. Full-bodied, with plump corn, butterscotch, spicy oak and pipe tobacco on the palate. The long finish featuring oak, toffee, ginger and cherries. 70.3% ABV

A note from de Vere’s Irish Pub:

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!

Knob Creek is the Kentucky town where Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas, owned a farm and worked at the local distillery. This nine-year-old Bourbon is made with the same high-rye formula as Basil Hayden’s. It has a nutty nose of sweet, tangy fruit and rye, with malt, spice and nuts on the palate, drying in the finish with notes of vanilla. 50.0% ABV

A note from de Vere’s Irish Pub:

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!

An aroma of gum, vanilla, mint, and molasses. Sweet, fruity and notably spicy on the palate, with emerging brown sugar and oak. Water releases intensive, fruity notes. The finish is long, spicy and comparatively dry, with developing vanilla. 45.0% ABV

A note from de Vere’s Irish Pub:

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!

Eagle Rare
Eagle Rare is 10 years old, and the Bourbon equivalent of a single cask Scotch malt whisky. Soft and delicate on the nose, with honey, leather, vanilla and mild oak. Sweet corn and stewed fruits on the palate, with spices, vanilla and developing rye notes. The finish is long and quite sweet, with a hint of ginger. 45.0% ABV,

Eagle Rare 17yr

The Eagle Rare brand was introduced in 1975 by Canadian distilling giant Joseph E Seagram & Sons Inc, and in 1989 it was acquired by the Sazerac company of New Orleans. In its present incarnation, Eagle Rare is part of Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which is updated annually. The latest variant of Eagle Rare, launched last autumn, comprises barrels that were distilled in the spring of 1991. Big and bold on the nose, with vanilla, wood adhesive and almonds, plus a whiff of leather. Very smooth on the palate, full-bodied and fruity, with rye and a hint of mint. The finish comprises vanilla fudge and a final kick of spice. *** 45.0%

A note from de Vere’s Irish Pub:

Our management staff at de Vere’s Pub is dedicated to building Sacramento’s largest whiskey list. We add whiskeys to our list as often as possible, in order to offer our guests the best and most comprehensive assortment in Northern California. To further educate our patrons (and ourselves), we like to post reviews of these whiskeys on our blog. This lets our guests read up on the whiskeys we offer before coming to visit our whiskey bar—which we know you’ll fall in love with upon your first visit.

The whiskey bar is located in the back room of our Irish Pub in downtown Sacramento, which is owned and operated by an Irish family. We understand that you have a lot of choices in the bars and restaurants that you frequent in the Sacramento area, and we hope that we can earn your patronage by providing you with a one-of-a-kind experience. Our goal is to provide you with the best place in town to eat, drink, and socialize with your family and friends. So, grab a friend and come down for an incredible whiskey and dining experience!